Tour stage winner denies doping August 4, 2009 CYCLIST: Spaniard Mikel Astarloza has denied doping after testing positive for the banned blood-booster EPO. Astarloza, who won stage 16 of this year’s Tour de France, was provisionally banned last week on the basis of an out-of-competition test in June. “I haven’t taken anything illegal,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to find out [...]
Profits soar at Tullett Prebon August 4, 2009 INTERDEALER broker Tullett Prebon surprised the City yesterday as it revealed soaring interim profits that were comfortably ahead of market expectations, boosted by the continuing volatility in the market. Tullett said first half pre-tax profits were 23 per cent ahead of the same period last year at £91.7m, while revenue grew 11 per cent to [...]
English clubs finances ‘a concern’ August 4, 2009 FOOTBALL: European chiefs Uefa have warned that some English clubs are jeopardising their futures by living beyond their means. The combined debt of top-flight clubs alone is estimated to be more than £3bn, while in lower divisions clubs have struggled to stay afloat. Uefa general secretary David Taylor said: “There are stories concerning some English [...]
Villa Delph deep for teenager August 4, 2009 FOOTBALL: Aston Villa last night completed the £8m signing of England Under-19 midfielder Fabian Delph from Leeds. The 19-year-old yesterday agreed personal terms to join Villa, who saw off competition from Manchester City and Fulham for his signature.
Players face cocaine clampdown August 4, 2009 RUGBY UNION: Players in England are set to become the first in the world to face out-of-competition tests for cocaine and other recreational drugs. The Rugby Football Union is working on tightening current worldwide legislation, which only allows testing for cocaine on matchdays. It follows former Bath trio Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins’ [...]
Racing return is proving pain in the neck for Schumacher August 4, 2009 SEVEN-TIME champion Michael Schumacher has admitted a lingering neck injury is hampering his sensational return to racing. The German, 40, has been coaxed out of retirement by former team Ferrari while Felipe Massa recovers from a fractured skull suffered at last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix. But Schumacher says his training for the European Grand Prix [...]
CITY VIEWS: IS GOLD A GOOD INVESTMENT NOW THAT EQUITIES ARE ON THE UP? August 4, 2009 ALEX ODWELL BADENOCH & CLARK“No, I don’t think it’s a great investment at the moment because I think there are better things to put money into now that the markets are stabilising, such as gas and utilities.” AISHA VERMA CASCAED“Gold is always a good investment and that won’t change. I personally think it is always [...]
IN THE BRAWN STUFF August 4, 2009 FORMULA ONE team boss Ross Brawn is facing the loss of his driving licence after being charged with speeding. The 54-year-old, whose Brawn GP outfit lead both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, is accused of driving at 100mph on the A30 in Devon. Brawn did not appear at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on Monday as he [...]
UniCredit stalls on state aid as profits improve August 4, 2009 ITALIAN bank UniCredit said it would decide in September whether to go ahead with Italian state aid after reporting better-than-expected second-quarter net income on improved trading profit. Chief executive Alessandro Profumo said the bank was in talks with Italy over hybrid bonds to bolster its capital ratios and assure lending to smaller companies. UniCredit has [...]
Reds agree to sell Alonso to Real for 34m August 4, 2009 LIVERPOOL midfielder Xabi Alonso will today complete his long-awaited move to Real Madrid after the two clubs finally agreed a £34m deal last night. Months of haggling were brought to a close when Liverpool accepted a package thought to be worth £30m up front and a further £4m based on his performance at Real. The [...]
